On Thursday, community members gathered in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to bring in the holiday season at the 28th annual production of Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic “The Nutcracker,” put on by the Champaign Urbana Ballet.
The ballet consists of two acts and follows the story of a young girl named Clara. After being gifted a nutcracker by her eccentric godfather at a family holiday party, she embarks on a magical journey when the toy comes to life.
The crowd cheered and clapped to the unveiling of the first of three distinct and grand sets, the first being the holiday party. Audiences cheered on the performances of many young children featured throughout the ballet.
For Katelyn Pullam, senior in Media, this marks her second year seeing the ballet after discovering it in an advertisement last year.
“I really wanted to see it again because it’s my last year on campus,” Pullam said. “I’ve been loving it. It’s so beautiful. I didn’t realize we had such an amazing and professional ballet company here in Champaign.”
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The story transitions into the battle sequence between the Nutcracker and the rat soldiers, led by a Rat Queen instead of a Rat King, which is the more typical character. Elevated with dark lighting, fog and scary costumes that gave the rats red glowing eyes, the scene was a tense departure from the prior holiday party scene.
Following the Rat Queen’s defeat, the set changed into a land of snow, enhanced by the costumes of the snow fairies and the falling of fake snow. Following this was a generous 20-minute intermission to allow the audience time to grab and eat baked treats being sold upstairs.
“I can’t even remember the last time I saw ‘The Nutcracker,’” said Paige Walk, senior in Media. “I almost forgot what it was about. It’s not what I expected in the best way. The Rat Queen scared me a bit, but, other than that, I am enchanted.”
At the onset of Act II, audiences cheered at the effect of a boat that appeared to be gliding through water, carrying the Nutcracker and Clara into the final of the three sets, the Land of Sweets. Towards the beginning of this act, audiences were wooed with the iconic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” followed by a series of dances featuring a variety of iconic themed dances, from Spanish and Arabian to Chinese, representing confections from across the world. Audiences particularly reacted to the Chinese dragon, which was made up of many young children.
The crowd then cheered again at the unveiling of the CU Ballet’s interpretation of Mother Ginger, who in most productions wears a large hoop skirt. In this production, costume designers made her giant skirt into a barn from which children jumped out dressed as little cows.
Nikoleta Iliakopoulou, a graduate studying computer science, came out excited to see ballet on campus.
“I particularly liked the sequence with the two dancers acting as dolls, the dancing was cool,” Iliakopoulou said. “I am very interested to see how it will end. I am excited.”
Following the themed dances, the Sugar Plum Fairy returned with her cavalier to perform a grand pas de deux, which showcases the talent of the dancers in the CU Ballet company. The act was capped off with a performance from the entire court of the Land of Sweets to audience cheers.
The CU Ballet’s “ The Nutcracker” will run for three more shows: 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, with a matinee at 2 p.m. and a show at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
